The Amorous Mate

Chapter 33: Eleventh Dance

Princess Cassiopeia sat down on a chair, all smiling in grace. As she smile on her chair, she managed to steal a heavy sigh that no one from the elites have noticed.

She was tired. She already expected that this night would be tiring for her and her sisters, all because almost every gentlemen in the city would want to have a dance with them. Every time they would attend a ball, this was always happening. Their dance cards were always filled with many gentlemen who have already reserved a dance with them, as if she and her sisters were a scheduled ball dance machine. Yet, somehow, Princess Cassiopeia somehow liked the enchant of dancing and fancy royal balls. It was because, every time she would sway her body; every time she would spin while a gentleman supports her hand, she felt more than a princess. She always imagined that it was a scene in a romance book—where a handsome prince so in love with her was having a night of fun dance with her company.

But then, whenever tiredness would resurface in her body after those series lf dancing, all she wanted was to curse at every man who took advantage of her company. Yet, as a princess, she could not get mad at them only because of the fact that if she does, she was afraid that the society would not view her as a valuable princess anymore, but someone as only the princesses’ sister. Nobility and power could be stripped off, even to the most powerful subject of the kingdom, that she knew.

That is why, when she watched and heard her sister’s madness earlier (when she was trying to save a servant), she was both amazed and afraid. She was afraid that the society would look mad and disgusted at her, but at the same time, she was amazed, for she was not afraid to the society’s view, rather she was the one who inflicted fear on them. It was a fascinating characteristic her sister possess—she was not afraid to fight on what she thinks was right.

She sighed once again. She grabbed a white handkerchief from the table, and she used it to gracefully wipe the sweat appearing at her neck and forehead. She had so much dance tonight, that is why it tired her off.

“Look what I found hiding at the corners of the Wetherby hall.” At Princess Cassiopeia’s front, a man with a mocking smile appeared. He wears a gentleman’s suit, just like how other gentlemen looked like, but something in Princess Cassiopeia was making her irritated of him.

“Lord Monterick, this is not a right time for your pesky mockeries, I plead,” Princess Cassiopeia said. She looked at the man, and when she saw his irritating smile, she rolled her eyes.

“Why’s it, Princess Cassiopeia? Have you had so much time dancing with other ‘dashing’ and ‘romantic’ and ‘knight-in-a-shining-armor’ gentlemen? Have you grown tired with your romantic fantasies?” Lord Monterick asked. Still, his smile were plastering her lips, unable to be wiped off with the princess’ eye-rolling. What is worse, the lord even sat beside her.

“I was just tired of dancing, my Lord. I have had ten dancing already. Who would not get tired from that?” Princess Cassiopeia asked. She rolled her eyes once again, hoping that it would deflect the lord’s presence.

“But what if the gentleman you are ‘destined’ to be with the rest of your life was supposed to be on your eleventh dance? And then you would not meet him, only because you’ve grown lazy and tired for tonight?” Lord Monterick asked, still smiling.

Hearing the lord’s what if, Princess Cassiopeia froze. Her eyes wandered, roaming around the dance floor. “Is he?” she whisperingly asked, thinking what if the lord was right?

Suddenly, Lord Monterick laughed. An annoying, mocking kind. “Do you perhaps, seriously thought that he would be here and would be your eleventh dance?!” he asked with his outrageous laugh.

Realizing that the lord was just playing at her, Princess Cassiopeia madly slapped his shoulder. “Whatever is with you, Lord Monterick?!” she irked, “you keep on coming near me only by the intention of mocking and making me mad!” Again, she rolled her eyes, and then stood up. She started to look for other place where she can rest without being disturbed and annoyed by someone named Lord Monterick.

The gentleman, Lord Monterick, was Princess Cassiopeia’s childhood friend. Bestfriend, in fact. They were of the same age, and when they were still children, their ties with each other were tightly knotted. There were no days where the two kids would not meet. There were not days where they would not have the chance to play. Everyday, smiles and laughs of innocence were coloring their face as they play and talk with each other. They watched each other growing and blooming as a woman, and a gentleman.

It was just until when they reached a certain age, when they friendship suddenly changed into something. They say there was a thin line between love and hate. Perhaps, it was real. The both of them loved each other as the realest friend—as if she was her brother, and he was his sister. However, Princess Cassiopeia did not know when, but, her once-upon-a-time best friend was now her vilest, most hated enemy (excluding the fact that he was her only enemy).

“Alright, alright, I am sorry,” Lord Monterick said. He quickly stood up, the moment that the Princess stood. He held her arms to stop her attempt to escape away from him.

Now, Princess Cassiopeia glared at her, “what is it this time, Lord Monterick? I am already tired of you and your attempt to vex me. Every time we met—or must I say, every time you show your self to me—you have never failed not to annoy me.”

The lord’s smile stayed on his handsome face. “Can I take that as a compliment?” the lord asked.

Princess Cassiopeia grunted, and rolled her eyes again. She bit her lower lip as she forcefully flickered her arm in order to remove the lord’s clinging hand.

“Woah there,” the Lord said, trying to stop his laugh.

“Were you really having fun mocking and annoying my existence, Lord Monterick?” Princess Cassiopeia asked.

The lord indirectly answered her question with his non-verbal actions. Instead of answering her, the lord just looked above, roaming the designs in the ceiling, pouting his lips, and pretending as if he had not heard her question.

“Whatever,” the princess exclaimed, “I just wish that the goddess of romance forbid you of your destined love. May that happen.”

Because she could not handle his presence anymore, she stormed away from the place where they were having their conversation. She started to look for her sisters so that she could ask them if it was fine for them to go back home. She has had enough of the celebration, and the fact that her mood was already ruined by a jerk, then it was more than enough a reason to go back home.

“Cassiopeia, I’m sorry, okay? I did not intend to hurt your heart.”

The Princess even fumed with more anger when she realized that the lord was following her. What was wrong with him, that he kept on following her even though she has clearly sent the message that she does not want his presence by her?

Her rapid walks were then stopped when Lord Monterick managed to catch her phase, and once again grabbed her arm.

Tired of that catching scene, Princess Cassiopeia sighed. She looked wearily at the lord, and with a pleading voice, she said, “please, Lord Monterick. You have had too much of your mockery, and I don’t want to hear anything more from you. I just want to go home now.”

However, despite her pleads, the lord’s smile were still visible from his face. Yet, he too sighed. From the pocket of his coat, he grabbed a clean, white kerchief. Holding still her arm, the lord’s face went near the princess’ face.

The princess was shocked when she saw what the prince was about to do. She was about to jerk her head away from him, but the lord pulled her nearer him by the use of his tight holding on her arm.

“Shh . . .” Lord Monterick whispered.

Princess Cassiopeia noticed that the lord was wiping the sweat that was forming near her ears.

“What are you doing, Shone Monterick?” Princess Cassiopeia asked, completing the name of the lord.

“Stay still,” the lord demanded. “Mama and Papa was watching us. Please, just this time.”

Ah, his Mama and Papa. That was the reason why he suddenly changed his behavior. Princess Cassiopeia was again, disappointed of him. She does not know why does she keep on helping him, wherein what he only does as payment was to annoy her.

Shone Monterick was the heir of Monterick household—a powerful family. His father, the Lord of the Monterick house, was a viscount. Ever since Shone grew the right age to understand, he was already being pressured by his father to be in the right track, right decisions, for he will be holding the position soon.

What includes the right decision that his father has been telling him, was his love interest—or perhaps, the right lady who will soon help him rule the Monterick household. His father chose the Princess of the Nightingale Kingdom.

Indeed, it must be perhaps too high of a dream of his father, but, he sees no reason not for it to happen. Shone and Cassiopeia has been in good terms ever since they were still children. They have been best of friends, and it only takes a little pushing for them to elevate the level of their relationship. In fact, the deceased king of Nightingale has even gave the princess’ hand to the Monterick household because King Simoun and the current Lord Monterick was best friends too.

Lord Shone Monterick and Princess Cassiopeia very well knew their parent’s desire for them to end up with each other. The problem was that, as they grew up, their hatred to each other were growing as well, making them rip apart with each other little by little.

However, Shone Monterick does not want to disappoint his parents. Even though King Simoun has already died, his promise to Shone's father was still alive. He was still being pushed by his parents to win the heart of the princess, and because he does not want to disappoint his parents, he was left no choice but to plead at Princess Cassiopeia to pretend that something special was happening between them.

Cassiopeia, because she was pure at heart, could not ignore the lord’s request. Thus, she agreed of the lord’s request.

That was the only thing that they have agreed, without any chaos. That was their only fixed tie which kept their friendship still hanging—even though it was by a thread.

Princess Cassiopeia let the lord wipe the sweat on her neck. The lord’s pretending smile was—to be honest—still an ethereal kind of smile. He is handsome and fit, and if only he was not a jerk who have been annoying her, she would have been already falling for him.

“Are they still watching?” Cassiopeia asked.

“They are,” the lord answered. “They must have been worried when you walked out from me, looking mad.”

“It was only your fault. You’ve been annoying me.”

“Indeed, that was my fault. I am sorry, my princess. I could not control my urge to see you fuming in madness. It’s just that.”

Princess Cassiopeia smirked. “You have the gut to annoy me, but when you are in tight situation like this, you run to me too. How rugged-face.”

“Y-Yeah, a rugged-face viscount’s heir, that must be me.”

Again, Princess Cassiopeia rolled her eyes. She could not count how many times she had done it. “If you just keep your distance away from me, perhaps we could end the night peacefully,” she whispered.

“But you must know how my parents would not let that happen, isn’t it?” Lord Monterick asked.

After that, the soft-blowing trumpet echoed in the dance floor again, signaling the last dance offered by tonight’s event.

Lord Monterick went uneasy. “I-In fact, uhm, I . . . I only came to you because . . . they wanted us t-to . . . to watch having the night’s last dance.”

Something warm rose up from the princess’s cheeks. “So?”

“Uhm, can I . . . have this last dance with you?” the lord asked, and offered his hand.

Princess Cassiopeia shook her head in disbelief. “You really are something, Shone. You would make me mad despite the fact that you were needing my help in this kind of situation.” Despite her words, she still held the lord’s hand.

The lord swallowed the lump on his throat, trying to control the unexplainable feeling bothering him. “R-Right. With that, I am grateful to your help, your highness.”

Both of them walked towards the center of the dancefloor. Yet, before they could reach it, the Baron Lord Matthew was at their front, blocking their path.

“Forgive me for interrupting, my Princess. I only want to ask if perhaps, you know where the Princess Demeter is?” Lord Matthew asked.

“Why, do you desire to dance with her too?” Princess Cassiopeia asked. She saw the discomfort on his eyes, making her chuckle. “Forgive me, my Lord, but I haven’t seen my sister yet since after she saved a servant,” she answered.

“But I have seen her,” Lord Monterick interrupted. “She went outside, to the Wetherby’s garden.”

Hearing Lord Monterick’s answer, Lord Matthew bowed at their front. Without any hesitation, he ran towards the direction where Monterick told.

Princess Cassiopeia shook her head from watching Lord Matthew’s running figure. “You see, Lord Monterick, that is love. That is romance,” she said.

Lord Matthew coughed and cleared his throat. “L-Let’s go?” he asked.

Princess Cassiopeia nodded, and together, they went to the center of the dance floor.